When you’re looking to design, develop and potentially mass produce your product(s), there are a number of important factors to consider. One crucial decision to make is where the product is manufactured. For some businesses, it may be preferable to use a manufacturer closer to home – while others might get more for their money overseas.
Depending on your specific product and needs, this decision may already be out of your hands. But to give you the best range of options, it may be worth choosing a manufacturer with one foot in the UK and another in Europe, Asia or the US. Here’s a breakdown of why…
Be more flexible
Imagine you receive an unexpected, highly-lucrative bid from a new customer in Europe. Or an existing client in the UK suddenly asks you to ramp up their usual order to meet increased demand. Will you be able to meet their requirement?
This is much more achievable if you have a manufacturer in both locations. You never know where an opportunity will strike or when a challenge will arise. But having a manufacturer with factories and teams on the ground in multiple locations will allow them to be much more reactive and to deliver products quicker – meaning you’ll be better equipped for new customers or a sudden influx of orders.
Plus, it is much easier to coordinate deliveries within the same country than to ship products overseas – which can take weeks instead of days, due to lengthy customs and import processes. For example, if you had a request come through from a client in Eastern Europe, you would ideally look to a manufacturing facility in that area to fulfil the order. While you might look for a manufacturer closer to home for a UK-based client.
Access more resources
There are loads of skilled engineers all over the world – so why restrict yourself? By choosing a manufacturer with facilities in various locations, you gain greater accessibility to skills and technologies which may not currently be available in the UK alone. Many manufacturers may also have dedicated factories around the world which specialise in different areas – so by keeping an open mind, you have much better opportunities for using the best of the best in terms of specialist manufacturing talent.
Plus, more locations mean more room for stock such as components and finished goods inventory. As such, manufacturers with multiple facilities will be more willing to invest in resources and will have a greater capacity to fulfil orders at short notice.
Keep costs down
Using a local UK-based manufacturer is very cost-effective, as you won’t have to get products delivered from overseas using pricier modes of transport such as air freight or ocean freight. Because of the lower delivery costs, going local may be more beneficial for manufacturing smaller product batches. In comparison, many overseas manufacturers are able to produce products at much lower costs to the customer – making them more worthwhile for mass production where the higher shipping rates are outweighed by the reduced cost of manufacture. A manufacturer with facilities in multiple locations will be able to offer a better range of options to find the most suitable price for your requirement.
EC Electronics: the best of both
Over the last three decades, we have built up a strong presence in the UK as well as Europe through our electronics expertise and ability to deliver quality products on demand. With over 35 years’ experience in the industry, we can source and produce all the necessary components – as well as assemble, test and ship to your facility in the quantities you require, on the day that you need it.
Although our Head Office is based in the UK, we’re a global manufacturer – with two manufacturing operations in Romania, as well as our established box build and cable assembly facility in Theale, Reading. All of which are manned by a specialist team of highly skilled engineers with vast experience across a variety of applications and industries. Having options in both the UK and Europe means we are able to remain competitive, mitigate risks and offer our customers the best price and quality to suit their specific product requirements.
Ultimately, the manufacturer you choose will depend on your specific needs. But a final piece of advice: always choose the one who will deliver the most value in the long-term – and who will always ensure your high standards are maintained.
At EC Electronics, we’ve got all bases covered. To find out more about our electronics manufacturing services, please get in touch today.
